Spurs first attempted to sign the Brazilian last summer, only for City to block the deal at the final moment. Despite Savinho agreeing personal terms with Tottenham at that stage, then-manager Pep Guardiola intervened and the player was handed a contract extension at the Etihad Stadium instead.
This summer the circumstances are different.
Manchester City are undergoing significant change following Guardiola's departure and are prepared to listen to offers for players who have not cemented a regular place in the starting eleven. Savinho, 22, made just seven Premier League starts this season — a return that has seen him move from untouchable to transferable in the space of twelve months.
The winger joined City from sister club ESTAC Troyes in the summer of 2024 and showed considerable promise in his first season, registering 84 competitive appearances across his two years at the club with seven goals and sixteen assists combined. But consistency at the Etihad Stadium proved difficult to maintain, and the January signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth further reduced his standing in the squad hierarchy.
Savinho is understood to be open to leaving and is attracted by the prospect of working under Roberto De Zerbi, whose attacking system at Tottenham is considered well-suited to a player of his profile — direct, quick in tight spaces and dangerous in one-versus-one situations.
Newcastle United have also registered interest, which adds urgency to Tottenham's pursuit.
Spurs are simultaneously advancing on other fronts. They are understood to have agreed deals for Scotland captain Andrew Robertson, who leaves Liverpool on a free transfer, and centre-back Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth, also out of contract. Those arrivals would address the defensive positions that left De Zerbi's side vulnerable during a final-day survival scare.
Savinho would represent a different kind of investment — attacking quality and long-term potential for a club that needs to move from survival mode to genuine competition at the top half of the table as quickly as possible.
At £60 million, the question is whether City blink this time.